For those who love music, different setup sometimes bring different experience as well and if you are the type who pay attention to sound quality, an amplifier is a must to have. Onkyo A-9010 vs A-9050 are two reliable and affordable integrated amplifier to power your speakers so then we can enjoy those songs better. They are a close brother and very similar to each other but are also different so before deciding to get one, see what set them apart below.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
– Which Amplifier to Purchase
– What are Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050
– What Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050 Look Like
– How are the Performance of Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050
– What Controls Available in Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050
– What Connectivity Available in Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050
– Onkyo A-9010 Vs A-9050
Contents
Integrated Amplifier
We are sure almost all of us loves music in general whether it is just to fill the room to make it livelier or purposely enjoyed as a method to spend our leisure time. Everyone has their own favorite and opinion on what sounds better, who make the best music or which genre should sit on the chart but at the end of the day, it is only a matter of taste thus, we are free to choose whatever match our ears better.
While taste in music is easily different, fortunately the gears we used to listen to them are not so varied because they are mostly built from the media player itself, amp to power your speaker, and the last is speaker itself, or if you prefer to listen in private, a good pair of headphones. If you are here then the player and speaker itself must available in the setup already because they are the essentials we often choose them first but what about the amplifier.
Sometimes we forget that between the player and speaker there is another tool to install and it is an amplifier. As the name suggests, this box is meant to “amplify” the wattage needed to drive your speaker. It is necessary because the speaker will require the amplified power from the unit to send the sound to your ears properly. However, there are actually few amplifiers out there which you may want to consider which best suit the setup.
1. First is pre-amplifier and this is meant to take the low-level audio signal from the music source to be prepared for the next stage or amplification. This type is already rarely used because we commonly have the pre-amp built in the players thus, there is no need to add another one in the system.
2. The next is power amplifier which is a continuation from the former amplification, making its job is to take the weak signal from the preamp and give it another drive to make sure the sound can be listened to through your speaker.
3. The last type is actually a combination of both and we often call it an integrated amplifier so to put it simply the box will take the job of two previous amplifiers and do it at the same time in one unit. This type seems to be more popular today because not only it is compact for requiring less room but also more affordable compared to purchasing the two amplifiers separately.
Onkyo A-9010 | Onkyo A-9050 | |
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Best Offer | click here | click here |
Product Dimensions | 17.1 x 13.1 x 5.1 inches | 13 x 17.1 x 5 inches |
Shipping Weight | 17.72 pounds | 22.6 pounds |
About Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050
If you already pick to go with which amp, now is the time to check the next step and it is the connectivity because this will decide what we can connect them to and in addition, the power output is also necessary especially if you are planning to purchase those with superior rate because there is no need to buy them if your speaker is only used to listen music in standard volume or just to fill a small room.
When you are done, now is the time to see what the market has to offer because there are so many of them out there and it can be time consuming to select them one by one by the model which is why we often recommend people to shop based on their budget range. Among those many brands that offer amplifier, one of the best choices is Onkyo that we are sure most people are already familiar with as well.
This Japanese brand is a very reliable option to go because they are well-known when it comes to quality but another reason on why we love them is because they are competitive when it comes to price, especially if you want to look for a budget version. Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050 are two amazing models designed to deliver you those warm sound right in the setup without having to cause a major effect on the bank account and many people agree with this.
As the name suggests they are a very close brother and what one model can do is actually possible as well on the other but due to the different prices and of course some bells and whistles that we are going to talk about later, the big brother will be a slightly more powerful competitor to beat yet, the former itself not carrying the three-time Award winning for nothing because it is also an amazing model to consider.
By coming from the same line, usually products like amplifier will have the same sound as well just being upgraded to be better at some parts but it seems the A-9050 which supposed to be more expensive than its little brother is said to be not similar or not as “warm” and probably even thin which makes some listeners could not get the same experience delivered by the older box. Read also: Marantz SR6012 Vs SR7012.
Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050 Design
As you can see on the sample picture above, both of them are very similar in terms of design the same with other box from the same line so in general they are almost identical but have slight differences to let you set them apart in a glance. The one we used as an example today is A-9010 Japan version in silver and the black A-9050. They have a solid build and look attractive as well but the faceplate and knobs are plastic so they may feel a bit cheap.
There is a grill panel at the top surface and when you rotate the box, the rear panel is filled with various ports to connect you setup and comparing the two, it is easy to tell which the higher model is because A-9050 is packing up more on this side yet the A-9010 is already placing the essentials as well.
Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050 Performance
The most important part of an amplifier is the sound performance and how they will work in your system so let’s start with how good these boxes will benefit your setup. Starting with Onkyo A-9010, this box will let you know instantly that this model has been tuned in Japan in case you are purchasing this specific version because it seems the place where the product comes from will affect the tuning itself and this version is what has been hailed as “warm” amplifier same as the UK version.
Moving to the other box, we do hope to listen to an even warmer sound than what we get of the former amp but this model doesn’t give that much difference or even comparable to the little brother A-9030. It sounds thin and not as robust but still carry the modest soundstage and in comparison somehow has this lack of weight to the overall sounds so there is less punch and richness we often wished to hear.
If you are using other types of players, this cons may not that prominent but for those who are playing with a turntable, then it will be easier to notice because the song we used to find enjoyable becomes somehow less engaging. On the pros though, it is well-balanced across the frequency and has details on board to let you pay attention and enjoy the song more.
Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050 Control
Coming into the amount of control on board, Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050 are very similar or in short identical because we are only getting the basic knobs for both of them. If you check the front panel, there is a main knob which is meant to control volume, an array of LED lights to show line connected, and another array of knobs to handle the basic equalization of treble, bass, and balance. In addition, near the line 5 port, there is a phone jack to connect your headphone.
Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050 Connectivity
The last part we want to talk about these amplifiers is the power and ports or connectivity because it is also what set them apart from each other the most and first, the latter is coming with both A and B speakers as well as a subwoofer if you need it. It also has a line out and pre out compared to only like out in A-9010 while the power rating is between 44 watts and 75 watts, making the later a more powerful model.
Comparison
Onkyo A-9010 and A-9050 are an amazing amplifier to driver your speaker but different, especially in sound which might be affected by power and internal tuning as well as on the connectivity side. Onkyo is popular with its warm sound and A-9010 JP/UK version are delivering this exact taste while in comparison A-9050 sounds thinner than what typical this line has to offer. However, the latter deliver more power and has more connectivity to your speakers.
Onkyo A-9010 vs A-9050
Name | Onkyo A-9010 | Onkyo A-9050 |
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Name | Onkyo A-9010 | Onkyo A-9050 |
Features | - Rated output: 44W + 44W (8Ω) (1KHz, 0.08% or less THD, when 2ch drive) / Practical maximum output: 85W + 85W (4Ω, 1kHz, when 2ch drive) / total harmonic distortion rate: 0.08% (at the time of rated output) / frequency characteristics: 10Hz ~ 100kHz / + 1dB, -3dB (LINE1) / SN ratio: 92dB (LINE, IHF-A) / 78dB (PHONO MM, IHF-A) - Audio input terminal: Analog × 5 (front × 1, rear × 4) / PHONO (MM) × 1 / audio output terminal: headphone jack (φ6.3mm) × 1 / analog (LINE OUT) × 1 / Speaker output terminal 1 system (banana plug) - power and voltage: AC100V (50 / 60Hz) / power consumption: 140W / Dimensions: 435 (width) × 129.5 (height) × 332.5 (depth) mm / mass: 6.4kg | - 75 with Ch (8 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.08% THD, 2 Channels Driven, FTC) - Three-Stage Inverted Darlington Circuitry; Direct Mode - Wolfson 192 kHz/24-Bit DAC (WM8718). High-Current Low-Impedance Drive |
Ratings | 5 out of 5 Star | 4 out of 5 Star |
Price | ||
Best deal | Save Money Please click here | Save Money Please click here |
Conclusion
All in all these two are a great choice and it is all up to you whether to pick the popular A-9010 or its big brother A-9050 yet, if we are to recommend, we actually like the sound of A-9010 better yet, this JP version is also more expensive.